Motor vehicle door lock accessory



March 1954 J. HALTENBERGER CESSORY MOTOR VEHICLE DOOR LOCK AC 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 31, 1950 ATTORNEY March 2, 1954 HAL-KENBERGER 2,670,623

MOTOR VEHICLE DOOR LOCK ACCESSORY I Filed Jan. 31, 1950 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 2, 1954 I".

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE l 2,670,623 7 MOTOR VEHICLE noon nook icess'somz. Jules Halte'nberger, Rancl o Santa: Calif; Application January 31, 1950, Serial No. 141,519

Automobile door locks, now in general use, include a fulcrumed door handle arranged to release the door upon operation of same. The front and trunk doors are usually provided with a co-operative rain protected -key operated look. In icing conditions (when rain freezeson surface) these locks proved to have a good performance, excepting however the trunk doors, when a somewhat upstanding lock andexposed face is without the provision of a rain protective lid.

. Quite .afew named automobiles now are provided witha cheaper lock construction. It consists of a stationary door handle, and an exposed operatingplunger. The exposed plunger when on the front doors v(or trunk door) is provided with a; key operated exposed face lock, without the inclusion however, of a rain protecting lid.

The use of an exposed plunger and exposed face lock individually and collectively fail in icing conditions. I

It is the object of my invention, to provide a quick mountable and quick demountable accessory cover forthe automobiles now being delivered, arranged to protect the plunger per se and to protect the associated lock face when used, and'in the preferredform to mount the cover substantially endwise to the plunger, further to permit the use of such accessory without any rema'chining operation or performance interference, and to arrange for the quick removal of same for warm weather, while leaving the present structure un-blemished.

A further obect is, to provide as by a simple provision of a groove a hand insertab'le and hand removable rubber (or the like) thimble arranged to be used only when icing conditions are to be met, while at removal retaining a desired pleasing appearance.

. Further objects will appear as the. description proceeds.

Referring to the drawings: Fig. 1 is a plan view of a plunger operated lock and handle, with some accessory parts in section; Fig. 2 is side elevation of a part of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section substantially on line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a section substantially on line l-4 of Fig. 1, with parts left out;

Fig. 5 is a schematical drawing of the lock; Fig. 6 is a modification of the invention shown as a pro duction accessory-Fig. '7 is an'accessory application of the invention for the usual rear doors of an automobile; Fig. 8 is a production accessory application for rear and trunk doors; Fig. 9 is a modification of the invention; Fig. 10 'is'an enlarged section of a part'shown' in Figs. 6', sand 9; Fig. 111 is decorativinsertto be used after the 2 Qlaims. (01. -455) I Y removal of the thimbles shown in Figs. 6, 8 and 9,

here shown in a larger scale; Fig. 12 is the application of the invention on a usual T handle body front or trunk door lock, an accessory for a series of automobiles in use, here shown in a smaller scale; Fig. 13 is a side elevation of Fig. 12; Fig. 14 is a top view of the accessory shown in Figs. 12 and 13. Fig. 15 is a side elevation of a usual body front or trunk door handle and lock; Fig. 16 is a plan view of Fig.,15; Fig. 1'7 is a plan view of a door handle and lock with an access cover and mounting means shown partly in section; Fig. 18 is a side elevation of Fig. 17; Fig. 19 is a section substantially on line l9--l9 of Fig. 1'7; Fig. 20 is a section substantially, on line 20-20 of Fig. 17.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, it will be seen 3 that the rear part of a usual automobile door having a wall I0 is folded over and is arranged to seat on door ledge sealer I l and door ledge I2 respectively. Wall 10 as by screws l3 support a stationary door handle, generally at M. Handle I4 is formed into a handle hub I5 operatively supporting a free sliding cylindrical protruding lock release plunger I6, and it is yieldingly held in the illustrated extended position asby spring I1 and plunger travel guide and travel length limiter 18 operating in groove 20.

The lock structure now appearing in new automobiles as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and schematically' in Fig. 5, provides a spring loaded plunger 16 containing a usual spring loaded key operated lock structure having. an exposed face 2| and a key hole 22 therein; The lock is provided with a longitudinal extension 23, terminating in a centrally off-set portion 24. Portion 24 is normally aligned with a spring loaded depending release lever 25; which is provided with a cam and engag'ingI part 26, here shown, holding a spring loaded release bar 21 having an end roller 28 in door closing" position. 1 Plunger l6 and parts 21 to 28 inclusive are mounted on the movable door. The stationary. door ledge 12 is provided with an upwardly curved groove 29 for the admission and upward. guidance of roller 28.

In operation, whenthe door is hand closed, the rollerI 28 rolls upwardly, arcuately lifting bar 21, when a portiorithereof reaches above the engagingpart'26, part 26 engages the bar; the door remains closed. When the plunger is pressed, end of portion 24 contacting and moving lever 2'5, disengags part'26 from bar 21, releasing the lock; theT'door can beppened. With a key operation, part 24"is' .di'splaced'from the'path of depending part25;" the door becomes locked.

"Hubi'portionl5' is'provided with a decorative form a contact with handle I 4. The tongue is also provided with handle overlapping portions 68 terminating in snap hooks 10. To prevent theft of the accessory it might be wired as shown by chain line H.

Dy mounting the accessory and pressing it in place, quick mounting means is arrived at by snap engagement. By separating the hooks quick removing means is secured.

Winterization is now an accepted procedure, the here proposed accessory is intended to be mounted before the arrival of icing condition and removed after the icing dangers are past. The here proposed simple method to free the motor vehicle from icing consequences is of great importance to physicians and surgeons, law enforcing agents, armed services, or in any emergency call, also on trucks and school busses and is of particular importance in the northern States and services in Alaska. Applicant believes the here proposed protection to be of genuine benefit to the public.

In the appended claims rubber shall mean rubber per se, or an other material like yielding plastic, having the general characteristics of rubber for the intended purpose.

It will be noted, that the depending apron in all figures where shown are alike, permitting key insertion without stretching the apron. All the aprons have relatively thin beads to permit key insertion to the demanded depth where the key enlarged head leaves but a small space between the lock face and head. To avoid bead stretching, therefore applicant positions the apron bottom at a material distance from the lock face.

It will also be noted that the exposed portion of the covers are duplicated in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 6, 17 and 18. And all covers provide for substantially lock endwise mounting for quick applicability.

It is important to note, that in my invention the key insertion is a simple quick and effortless apron lifting operation, that can be facilely performed by women or children either in light or in darkness. This invention permits the key insertion while wearing gloves or zero weather mittens as the gloved hands handle the key only.

In the appended claims, accessory shall mean an accessory cover which is intended to be applied in or near freezing weather.

While I have herein shown and described only certain specific embodiments of my invention and have suggested only certain possible modifications, it will be appreciated that many changes and variations can be made to suit particular conditions and embodiments of use, without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

What applicant claims as his invention:

1. An accessory for use on a motor vehicle door having a door handle with a handle hub and an endwise sliding cylindrical lock release plunger having an exposed operating end protruding outwardly from the hub, comprising a yieldable hollow thimble-shaped cover of rubber-like material substantially endwise fittable over and freely re ceiving the plunger operating end, and yieldable mounting means removably fittable on a portion of the handle adjacent to the hub, to removably hold the cover on the hub, said yieldable hollow cover having on its outer end a depending hoodshaped apron adapted to be normally free of contact with the protruding end of the sliding operating plunger and terminating in a free edge which surrounds an opening in the under side of the cover through which a key may be inserted and moved to displace said apron to give access to a keyhole in a lock in said cylindrical plunger.

2. For use with an automobile door handle with handle hub having a cylindrical lock release operating plunger endwise slidable in the hub with an exposed operating end protruding outwardly from the hub, an article of manufacture comprising a yieldable hollow thimble shaped cover of rubber-dike material having an inner open end and shaped for freely receiving the protruding end of the sliding operating plunger and means for securing said cover to the hub, the closed outer end of said cover being in the form of a depending hood-shaped apron adapted to be normally free of contact with the protruding end of the sliding operating plunger and terminating in a free edge which surrounds an opening in the under side of the cover through which a key may be inserted and moved to displace said apron to give access to the keyhole in the cylindrical lock when said article of manufacture is secured to the hub.

JULES. HALTENBERGER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 492,165 Nase Feb. 21, 1893 1,371,602 Butch Mar. 15, 1921 2,049,144 Wahlberg July 28, 1936 2,070,955 Parisoe Feb. 16, 1937 2,217,730 Cooley Oct. 15, 1940 2,236,208 Swift Mar. 25, 1941 2,247,592 Swift July 1, 1941 2,564,012 Jordan Aug. 14, 1951 OTHER REFERENCES Popular Mechanics of January 1941, page 159. 

